Mindless (Short Story) - Louise Cole

Synopsis:

‘My parents chose who they wanted to be and I knew it would end badly. What I didn’t see is I’d be the one to pay the price.’

Everything changes the day Stella is hit by a car outside her London council flat. It’s not an accident. It’s a warning. Her dumb, drug-dealing father and her soppy mother don’t have the sense between them to keep Stella and her little brother safe. Her father Joe has stolen from local mob boss Horse - and then his scheme to repay Horse goes south, and lands Joe in prison. Where he starts to talk.
Horse is coming for them. If anyone is going to protect her family, it will have to be Stella herself. But how far will she go? And who must she become in order to survive?

Tense, gritty and beautifully written, Mindless is the story of a clever girl trapped in a stupid, violent world. It will appeal to young adults and adults alike. Told by Stella itself, the story alternates between the thriller narrative and her later conversations with her psychiatrist.

Review:

Firstly I'd like to thank Louise for providing me a copy of Mindless for a honest review, I hope she likes what I have to say.

So we follow Stella who's clearly an intelligent young woman, she tells us her story and its a tense one at that. Her life isn't perfect but it is what it is and things change one day when Stella gets hit by a car right outside of her council flat in London and I have to admit I flinched at this scene, I physically recoiled which was a clear sign I was really into the book. Stella ends up in the hospital and goes on to recover from the incident and she becomes aware soon after that it wasn't an accident, instead it was a warning for her Father.

Stella clearly has more sense than both of her parents put together and her brother isn't like Stella, she quickly puts together the proof in her mind and a plan to execute, going on to confront her dad and he reassures her he's going to fix it all, but things goes south when the scheme he made to fix it all goes south and puts him behind bars where he can't keep his mouth shut and Stella remains aware throughout, figuring it out that if they can't do a good job of getting to Joe whilst behind bars, they'll hurt him through the people outside of prison whom he loves but Stella is already ready for this as her mind is the only one functioning.

The last part of the middle and the ending of the book blew me away, it was intense action and utterly jaw dropping. Stella is clearly a very strong and determined character well built and portrayed. Although only a short story I utterly loved it, I'd easily fall in love with Stella all over again if she ever resurfaced in any more work of Louise'. A short story indeed, immersive more so, action packed and wonderful I have to give it a 5/5 which it truly deserves. Louise has a great writing style which I fell in love with in The Devil's Poetry when I read it not so long back.

The Devils Poetry - Louise Cole Blog Tour

Book Information

Title: The Devil’s Poetry

Author: Louise Cole

Release Date: 13^th June 2017

Genre: YA Thriller

Publisher: Kindle Press

Format: Ebook

Summary:

Questions are dangerous but answers can be deadly.

Callie’s world will be lost to war – unless she can unlock the magic of an ancient manuscript. She and her friends will be sent to the front line. Many of them won’t come back. When a secret order tells her she can bring peace by reading from a book, it seems an easy solution - too easy. Callie soon finds herself hunted, trapped between desperate allies and diabolical enemies. The Order is every bit as ruthless as the paranormal Cadaveri.

Callie can only trust two people – her best friend and her ex-marine bodyguard. And they are on different sides. She must decide: how far will she go to stop a war?

Dare she read this book? What’s the price - and who pays it?

Commended In the Yeovil Prize 2016, this is an action-packed blend of adventure, fantasy and love story.

Review:

When asked if I wanted to read this book, by the sounds of the synopsis alone I just couldn't refuse and I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. The book follows Callie she's 17 and the world she knows will be lost to war soon so when her and her friends go out to party to celebrate their last piece of freedom before being shipped off to war, she didn't know she could change all of that, with 1 book.

Soon enough she's in possession of a book that draws her in, a book forced upon her by a stranger who will become known as Jace, in a situation where she simply didn't have the time to refuse. She doesn't know it but she holds the power to save her friends from the oncoming war. This part of the story alone just made me want to read on and never stop.

At school the following day a new teaching assistant by the name of Mr Portman rings bells to Callie, she remembers him handing her the book and telling her to keep it safe, not to read it but just keep it safe but familiar face or not Callie feels vulnerable around him. Later that day Gavin and Amber who are Callies closest friends are walk home across the fields, Gavin leaves going his way home leaving the other 2 girls to carry on aross the Marchbanks' farm and that's when things truly kick off. Figures with white eyes come closer, backing Callie into the barn after Callie had made Amber run away because it was her they wanted, and all they want is the book that Callie doesn't have on her.

Everything pretty much kicks off at higher gears after that, I don't want to give away too much but Callie soon becomes involved with a group whom are the people who help stop the world going to hell (to be honest) There's a lot of nail biting moments and times where I've had to call out and do whale cries just because it was so great. It was a gripping book and I was simply unable to put it down. I have to admit I fell in love with Callie and Jace, it was an undeniable love between me and both of the characters, I didn't feel so attached to other characters but I felt emotions when they were involved.

Its hard to truly express how much I loved this book and I really cant wait to read more from Louise Cole, she has drawn me in and I simply cant back out. its an easy 5/5 from me, the book feels like a great book for anyone to read, its a perfect mix of suspence, action and love and friendship. I hope you'll check out the book and if you don't I hope you'll check out the other posts from the Blog Tour as the names of the blogs are below.

Goodreads Link for The Devils Poetry by Louise Cole
Amazon Link for The Devils Poetry by Louise Cole

About the Author - Louise Cole

Louise Cole has spent her life reading and writing. And very occasionally gardening. Sometimes she reads as she gardens. She can be seen walking her dogs around North Yorkshire - she's the one with a couple of cocker spaniels and a Kindle. She read English at Oxford - read being the operative word - and hasn't stopped reading since.

In her day-job she is an award-winning journalist, a former business magazine editor and director of a media agency. She writes about business but mainly the business of moving things around: transport, logistics, trucks, ships, and people.

Her fiction includes short stories, young adult thrillers, and other stuff which is still cooking.

Her YA and kids’ fiction is represented by Greenhouse Literary Agency and she is also published on Amazon as one of the Marisa Hayworth triumvirate.